Cecilia Keaveney
Ceist:78 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment whether widows are entitled to participate in FÁS schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23596/96]
Written Answers. - Community Employment.
Cecilia Keaveney
Ceist:79 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment when anomalies within the eligibility criteria for FÁS schemes will be addressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23597/96]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 78 and 79 together as I understand that both questions relate to the eligibility of widows for participation in Community Employment.
CE is designed primarily to prevent marginalisation among long-term unemployed people whose principal or only source of income is an unemployment compensation payment or lone parent's allowance. Its objective is to provide temporary work experience opportunities with training that would enhance the employment prospects of those at whom the programme is targeted.
The present eligibility criteria for CE only came into effect earlier this year following a detailed review of CE and in response to the recommendations of the Task Force on Long-Term Unemployment. These criteria were designed to target the programme at priority groups and include provision for persons with children who are in receipt of survivor's contributory pension to revert to lone parent's allowance and if awarded same, they would then be eligible to participate in the programme.
I have no plans to widen the eligibility criteria to include additional categories at present. CE is operating at, or close to capacity, relative to available resources, and to extend eligibility would be at the expense of the priority groups for whom the programme is designed.